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ThesisItem Restricted Behavioural intentions of vegetable growers for adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in Punjab, India and Nakuru, Kenya.(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2021) Cherotich, Carolyne; Manmeet KaurThe present study was undertaken to examine vegetable growers‘ risk perception, their awareness of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), determinants of their intentions, and the applicability of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) among vegetable growers to adopt GAP in Punjab, India, and Nakuru, Kenya. Primary data was collected by surveying 200 randomly selected vegetable growers comprising 100 in Punjab and 100 in Nakuru. Vegetable growers were randomly selected from a list obtained from the Department of Vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Nakuru County. An interview schedule was developed and used for data collection. Findings revealed that the majority of the vegetable growers in the two regions were of medium age, male, and had marginal landholdings. Vegetable production was a more profitable enterprise in Punjab than in Nakuru. Production occurred under different risk conditions with market risks, institutional risks, weather and climate change risks, and production risks perceived as the leading sources of challenges among the farmers in the two regions. A majority of the vegetable growers were unaware of GAP standards for vegetable production, with many deviating from the expected standards in their vegetable production activities. Most of the vegetable growers identified production costs, market exclusivity, training, government support, and access to labor as the key determinants to the use of GAP in their activities. The findings further revealed that behavioral intention to adopt GAP by vegetable growers is predicted by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Socio-personal and economic traits had no significant influence on the intention to adopt GAP among vegetable growers. Perceived risks highly influenced the farmers' intention to adopt GAP, with the relationship being of more significance in Punjab than in Nakuru. Beliefs about the consequences of behavior, such as higher income if GAP is adopted; beliefs regarding the influence of people of importance to the vegetable growers; and the perception that vegetable growers are in control had a significant impact on their attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is highly applicable to the study of behavioral intention among vegetable growers. The study revealed the need for training and capacity building of vegetable growers regarding GAP, the need for partnerships and linkages with extension service providers, agrochemical companies, agricultural universities, and other institutions in GAP training and awareness creation. There is also a need for a price premium for vegetables produced following GAP standards and sufficient infrastructural support from the government to encourage the adoption of GAP.ThesisItem Open Access Aspirations of rural youth in plain and sub-mountainous area of Punjab: A comparative analysis(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2022) Joshi, Divyata; Dhaliwal, R. K.The research was undertaken with the objectives to study awareness about agricultural development schemes, aspirations, attitude of rural youth towards agriculture and allied sectors as an occupation and to determine the perceived constraints in achieving aspirations and choosing agriculture as an occupation. The study was conducted in plain and sub-mountainous area of Punjab. From each zone four blocks were selected randomly. Further, two villages from each block and fifteen youth from each village were selected. A total of 240 respondents were selected. The data was collected through interview schedule. The results of the study revealed that among the socio-economic profile, youth from sub-mountainous area had higher educational level. However, the variables viz. occupation, occupation of head of the family, farming experience, size of land holding and annual income were found to be significantly higher among the rural youth of plain area. Communication characteristics were found to be higher among the youth of plain area. A significantly higher number of respondents from plain zone had willingness for migration. The finding revealed that more than half of the rural youth had medium level of awareness about the developmental schemes. For centrally sponsored scheme half of the respondents were found to have low level of awareness. Whereas for state sponsored schemes medium level of awareness was found among the 45 per cent of the respondents. The awareness among the rural youth of plain area was found significantly higher regarding these schemes. For youth development schemes, medium level of awareness was found among the respondents. The analysis of aspirations of rural youth revealed that more than half of the respondents had medium level of aspirations. Further, the occupational, entrepreneurial, economic and overall aspirations were significantly higher in rural youth of plain. It was found that rural youth had moderately unfavourable attitude towards agriculture as an occupation and a significantly higher number of respondents of plain area had positive attitude towards farming. The findings revealed that infrastructural and other constraints were the most perceived constraints among the rural youth and were significantly higher in sub-mountainous area. Psychological factors were found to be most perceived in the choosing agriculture as an occupation and significantly higher among the rural youth of sub-mountainous zone. Correlation analysis showed that family size, farming experience, land holding, annual income, extension agency contact and participation in extension activities had significant positive relationship with aspirations, attitude and awareness about agricultural development schemes.
